Saturday, August 26, 2017

City of Lago Vista plans to keep historic school building.

City of Lago Vista is currently working on plans to preserve the Cox Springs School building in a better more efficient manner. North Shore Heritage & Cultural Society and former students are working with the City of Lago Vista, City of Jonestown, and Travis County Historical Commission to move the school building onto a permanent location into the city of Lago Vista, Texas.

North Shore Heritage & Cultural Society wants to save this building in an attempt of historic preservation so students of today can see how students who lived in Lago Vista and Jonestown during the early 20th century received their education. Both commissions plan to keep the old school in tact. North Shore Heritage & Cultural Society and former students are working to restore the former school building.

Both the City of Lago Vista and City of Jonestown consider Cox Springs School to be a historical building despite no Texas Historic Landmark marker. Although there is no Texas Historic Landmark marker, a brown metal sign about the school’s history is located behind the school building facing Old Burnet Road. Cox Springs School is one of the oldest buildings in Lago Vista next to the Lago Vista School which is commonly known as “the little red schoolhouse” to local citizens and historians.


Cox Springs School was built in 1908 as a one-room building for Lago Vista Common School District No. 2 better known as Lago Vista Common School District. Cox Springs School was known as Cox Springs School House when the school district first opened this school. Grades 1 through 11 attended this school with Grade 12 eventually being included. Cox Springs School had its own school district called Cox Springs School District (District #2) from 1908 to 1950 before being consolidated into Lago Vista Independent School District.

Originally the Cox Springs School was located closely near the intersection of Lohman Ford Road & Sylvester Ford Road in Lago Vista, Texas from 1908 to 1940. In 1940, the school relocated to Old Burnet Road in Jonestown, Texas in a modern day neighborhood called The Bluffs. Although the Cox Springs School is considered to be in Lago Vista, Texas, the actual location the school building is currently located at is 18842 Old Burnet Road, Jonestown, Texas, US 78645. The alternate address is 18842 Old Burnet Road, Leander, Texas, US 78645.

In 1940, the Cox Springs School building was moved from the intersection of Lohman Ford Road & Sylvester Ford Road in Lago Vista, Texas to Old Burnet Road in Jonestown, Texas. Grade 12 was added in 1949 due to Gilmer-Aiken Law mandated by the State of Texas. More funds went towards the school district that following year. 1950 is when Cox Springs School District was abolished and consolidated into Lago Vista Independent School District (Lago Vista ISD).

In 1960, the last group of students from grades 1st through 12th were moved to Lago Vista School which was known then to Lago Vista citizens and locals as the “the little red schoolhouse” on 7610 Lohman Ford Road. Lago Vista School was a K-12 school then.

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